


Coming on, darkness unescapable

by Himring



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Akallabêth, Canonical disaster, Fall of Númenor, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Númenor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21702355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himring/pseuds/Himring
Summary: Firiel faces the foundering of Numenor.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Coming on, darkness unescapable

_...by grace of the Valar Elendil and his sons and their people were spared from the ruin of that day._

_For Elendil had remained in Romenna, refusing the summons of the King when he set forth to war; and avoiding the soldiers of Sauron that came to seize him and drag him to the fires of the Temple, he went aboard his ship and stood off from the shore, waiting on the time._

(From: _The Akallabeth_ )

But Firiel was not with them. That last day found her at a way-post too close to Armenelos, accompanied only by her father’s old scribe. The fires came down from Meneltarma and she could see clearly that the road towards Romenna was cut off. There was no way to flee.  
  
Beside her, the old man wailed: ‘What shall we do? What shall we do?’  
  
‘ _Atheg_ ,’ she said to him. ‘Take your pen and write.’  
  
The old man stared at her in uncomprehending terror. She put a firm hand on his shoulder.  
  
‘Take out your pen and paper,’ she repeated.

Already, her throat was scratchy with smoke.  
  
With trembling fingers, he obeyed. Holding the tools of his trade calmed him a little, visibly.  
  
‘Now write,’ she said.  
  
She had to keep raising her voice to remain audible over the growing rumble in the background, as she began to dictate, steadily: ‘ _Írima ye Númenor. Nan úye sére indo-ninya símen, ullume; ten sí ye tyelma…’_  
  
_Lovely is Númenor. But my hearth resteth not here for ever, for here is ending._  
  
Who knows whether it was the fire or the water that took them at the last?

**Author's Note:**

> Firiel, daughter of Orontor, is mentioned in "The Lost Road". She dwelt for a time in Elendil's household, because her father had left Numenor on a secret mission. We do not know what fate Tolkien had planned for her at the Foundering (if he had considered the question at all). 
> 
> The lines in Quenya are from a traditional song she sings in canon. 
> 
> According to Parf Edhellen, "atheg" means "little father" (in Sindarin).
> 
> The title is taken from Faramir's description of his dreams of the Fall of Numenor in ROTK.


End file.
